Tuesday, October 09, 2007

OH-05 Echo In Virginia? Club For Growth Files Complaint Against Democrat

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- In Ohio, Republican State Rep. Bob Latta has filed a formal complaint with the state elections commission claiming the Club for Growth has distorted his record about raising taxes. In Virginia, the Club for Growth filed a formal complaint the same day alleging "malicious falsification in political advertisements" against a Democratic legislative candidate and the state party.

What ignited that spat? A Democrat's contention the Club for Growth's goal of major tax reforms will eventually lead to a national sales tax of 34%, causing "higher taxes on everything."

Ohio's Latta is being attacked by the Club for Growth, which is backing State Sen. Steve Buehrer in the Nov. 6 GOP primary for the vacant 5th Congressional District, which covers the NW portion of the state. In Virginia, Democrat Chris Brown has recently mailed out two political fliers that contend the Club for Growth is backing an incumbent Republican, Jeff Frederick, who favors the 34% sales tax.

The state Democratic Party financed the mailings. It has the Club for Growth howling that it has been hit with a low blow.

"Every person who is active in political or grassroots circles knows that the Virginia Club for Growth PAC only promotes and endorses candidates that have taken a pledge in support or lower taxes and smaller government. To suggest otherwise is such an exaggerated folly and no knowledgeable and reasonable person can take it seriously -- it's akin to suggesting that the Pope isn't Catholic.

"The fact that these political mailings were funded by the Democratic Party of Virginia is particularly injurious . . . In other words, this is the second attempt by the Democratic Party of Virginia to malign our PAC and falsify or misrepresent our espoused and well known positions, in an attempt to deceive the voters. This sort of fraudulent campaign activity cannot be permitted to continue if the sanctity of the voting process is to be maintained."

In Ohio, Latta says the Club for Growth is maligning and misrepresenting his well known positions. In Virginia, the Club for Growth says its a victim of the Democrats doing the same thing.

Renown economist Laurence Kotlikoff believes that failure to enact the FairTax - choosing instead to try to "flatten" what he deems to be a non-flattenable income tax system - will eventuate into an irrevocable economic meltdown, because of the hidden aspects of the current system that make political accountability impossible. Tom Frey, of the DiVinci Institute, foresees the coming collapse of the income tax system.

Here is why the FairTax MUST replace the income tax. It's:

• SIMPLE, easy to understand• EFFICIENT, inexpensive to comply with and doesn't cause less-than-optimal business decisions for tax minimization purposes• FAIR, loophole free and everyone pays their share• LOW TAX RATE, achieved by broad base with no exclusions• PREDICTABLE, doesn't change, so financial planning is possible• UNINTRUSIVE, doesn't intrude into our personal affairs or limit our liberty• VISIBLE, not hidden from the public in tax-inflated prices or otherwise• PRODUCTIVE, rewards, rather than penalizes, work and productivity

Its benefits are as follows:

For INDIVIDUALS:• No more tax on income - make as much as you wish• You receive your full paycheck - no more deductions• You pay the tax when you buy "at retail" - not "used"• No more double taxation (e.g. like on current Capital Gains)• Reduction of "pre-FairTaxed" retail prices by 20%-30%• Adding back 29.9% FairTax maintains current price levels• FairTax would constitute 23% portion of new prices• Every household receives a monthly check, or "pre-bate"• "Prebate" is "advance payback" for taxes payable on monthly consumption to poverty level• FairTax's "prebate" ensures progressivity, poverty protection• Finally, citizens are knowledgeable of what their tax IS• Elimination of "parasitic" Income Tax industry• NO MORE IRS. NO MORE FILING OF TAX RETURNS by individuals• Those possessing illicit forms of income will ALSO pay the FairTax• Households have more disposable income to purchase goods• Savings is bolstered with reduction of interest rates

For BUSINESSES:• Corporate income and payroll taxes revoked under FairTax• Business compensated for collecting tax at "cash register"• No more tax-related lawyers, lobbyists on company payrolls• No more embedded (hidden) income/payroll taxes in prices• Reduced costs. Competition - not tax policy - drives prices• Off-shore "tax haven" headquarters can now return to U.S• No more "favors" from politicians at expense of taxpayers• Resources go to R&D and study of competition - not taxes• Marketplace distortions eliminated for fair competition• US exports increase their share of foreign markets

For the COUNTRY:• 7% - 13% economic growth projected in the first year of the FairTax• Jobs return to the U.S.• Foreign corporations "set up shop" in the U.S.• Tax system trends are corrected to "enlarge the pie"• Larger economic "pie," means thinner tax rate "slices"• Initial 23% portion of price is pressured downward as "pie" increases• No more "closed door" tax deals by politicians and business• FairTax sets new global standard. Other countries will follow

It's well past time to scrap the tax code and pay for government the way that America's working men and women are paid - when something is sold.